Abstract
Background: Hypoglycemia is a common complication of diabetes treatment and may influence not only clinical outcomes but also patients’ worries, avoidance behaviors, and confidence in managing hypoglycemia. This study assessed hypoglycemia-related attitudes and behaviors using the Hypoglycemic Attitudes and Behavior Scale (HABS) and examined associated factors.
Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 179 adults with type 2 diabetes receiving care at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital. Data were collected by structured interview and medical record review. HABS contains 14 items in three domains: Avoidance, Anxiety, and Confidence. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed for the total HABS score and domain scores.
Results: The mean age was 64.02 ± 13.60 years, and 57.0% were women. Hypoglycemia during the previous 6 months was reported by 55.3%, severe hypoglycemia by 24.6%, and emergency care/hospitalization due to hypoglycemia by 14.5%. The mean total HABS score was 2.59 ± 0.37; domain scores were 2.97 ± 0.53 for Avoidance, 2.72 ± 0.62 for Anxiety, and 3.84 ± 0.45 for Confidence. The multivariable model explained 50.8% of the variance in total HABS score. Recent hypoglycemia (B = 0.216; p < 0.001) and severe hypoglycemia (B = 0.306; p < 0.001) were associated with higher total HABS scores, while previous hypoglycemia education was associated with a lower score (B = -0.226; p < 0.001). Severe hypoglycemia was adversely associated with all three HABS domains. Previous hypoglycemia education was associated with lower Anxiety and higher Confidence.
Conclusion: Recent and severe hypoglycemic experiences remained associated with more adverse hypoglycemia-related attitudes and behaviors after adjustment. Hypoglycemia education was associated with lower Anxiety and higher Confidence. These findings support incorporating behavioral assessment and hypoglycemia education and counseling into diabetes care, while the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference.
| Published | 2026-11-15 | |
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| Issue | Vol. 16 No. S-3 (2026) | |
| Section | Original Articles | |
| DOI | 10.34071/jmp.2026.S-3.15 | |
| Keywords | type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia, Hypoglycemic Attitudes and Behavior Scale, patient education |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hue Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy
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